SAD #68 2003-2004

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This photo shows the Morton Avenue Elementary School, SAD 68 in Dover-Foxcroft. Fir seeds for future Christmas trees were planted May 3 and 4, 2004 by four classes of First Grade students. When these students are in the third grade, they will be bussed to the Natural Resource Education Center Tree farm on the Milo Road and transplant the two-year old seedlings to a "transplant bed". When these same students are in the fifth grade, they will again be bussed to the tree farm. There, they will remove the, now four-year old seedlings from the transplant bed and transplant them again out in the fields. When these same students are ready to graduate from high school, the trees will be ready to be harvested as Christmas trees. The first priority for the sale of the Christmas trees will be to make sure the program is financed to continue. Any funds left over, after the program is financed for one more year can be used by the class for any project chosen by the class. If each graduating class finances the program for one more year the program will be continuous.

An integral part of the SAD 68 Elementary School System is the Monson Elementary School. There are not as many students at this school as are at the Morton Avenue School but the dynamics are just as fundamental.

To the following kids in Mrs. Lander's First Grade Class:

Jordan Allen	Haley Herbest	Misty Stewart
Calvin Andries	Drew Kelso	Lois Stinson
Jennifer Boyer	Aliviah King	Lucas Thebault-Spieker
Dalaney Desmarais	Ian Long	Jack Thrain
Brandon Dyer	Hunter Smith	Mic Turgeon
Caleb Edgerly	Mike Smith	Hailey Wellington
Karmen Grant	Roy Smith	Isaac Whittemore
Ben Hathorne

I want to thank you all for the very nice letters you wrote me, telling me of the nice time you had when we planted the tree seeds together. I was really amazed at your ability to write letters, use the computer but most of all your ability as first graders to spell words. Some of the words were misspelled but your willingness to try to spell the words was, to me, a special gift you all have. One young lady used the word YESTEREDAY. That is a very hard word for first graders to spell. I'm sure I would not have used it in a sentence until I was at least in the 4th or 5th grade.

Now, to answer some of your questions.

To Jordan, yes, your trees are growing.

To Calvin, I will come back to show you the little trees that have sprouted but if not this spring, then next fall when you are in the second grade.

To Dalaney, I'm really glad you had fun planting the seeds.

To Brandon, yes, seeds are little and even the big trees have very little seeds.

To Caleb, yes I and my wife both like to plant seeds, especially vegetable seeds.

To Karmen, yes I love trees and I'm glad you love trees too.

To Haley, you used a very big word for such a small girl. You misspelled yesterday but only one letter out of all nine letters was wrong. I think you are very smart.

To Drew, yes it is fun to plant seeds and when the summer sun gets very hot, it is nice to have the shade the trees make.

To Hunter, yes, it does take a long time for trees to grow but it takes more than one year for a tree to be big enough to cut for a Christmas tree.

To Lois, I'm really glad you had fun planting the seeds. I had just as much fun helping you plant the seeds as you did planting them.

To Lucas, The trees are growing. I'm glad you had fun and that you like trees.

To Jack, Yes, seeds need sun they rain and they need dirt. You know a lot about seeds.

To Nic, I'm glad you learned how to plant trees and I'm glad you had fun. I also noticed you used the word yesterday twice in your letter and you spelled correctly. Good for you.

To Isaac, After a while crocodile. In the meantime, you are welcome to come to our place anytime this summer and check out your little trees.

To the person who drew me a picture with two trees. Thanks, they were very nice trees with lots of green foliage but you did not sign your name so I can't thank you by name.

In the above photo, from left to right in the front row are Donald, Jennifer and Peter Boyer.

On August 14 in Greenville at the Forest Heritage Days, I met the nicest people. As we talked, it was obvious they were some of the "Little People" we had already met at the Morton Elementary School in Dover. Or, at least we should have met them. It turns out that Peter had missed school that day and his older brother, Donald was supposed to have planted two-year old seedling trees here at the farm but his class was rained out. Don't worry Donald, Mrs. Law planted the seedlings for the entire class. Now, to Jennifer, or Jenny as she likes to be called. She did get the chance to plant the tree seeds when we visited Mrs. Lander's class. Jenny, most of your classmates wrote me a little note. I did not get one from you unless you happened to write the one letter I received with no name on it. But that is OK. In fact, Elaine just told me that Mrs. Lander found a few more letters after she had mailed me the ones I received. Perhaps yours was in that bunch.

Next fall, as I understand it, Donald and his class will come to the farm and flag out the location for where he and his class will transplant the tree when he is in the fifth grade. Next spring, Elaine and I will bring the little peat pots, with the baby trees in them, to your school and we will transplant those little trees into bigger plant pots. In the meantime, if you ever stop by I will show you the little trees you planted.

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